Tool-handle.



No- 895,903. PATENTED AUG. 11, 1908. Y 'B. H. SMITH;

TOOL HANDLE. APPLICATION FILED AUG.29, 1907.

Suva 1' 01 35521474156722 I RICHARD H. SMITH, OF BALLARD, WASHINGTON.

TOOL-HANDLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 11, 1908.

Application filed August 29, 1907. Serial No. 390,672.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD H. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ballard, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented new and useful Improvements in Tool-Handles, of which the following is a specification.

. This invention relates to handles for hammers, hatchets, and other similar tools; and it has for its object to provide an improved handle having metallic reinforcing plates whereby said handle is greatly strengthened and prevented from splitting or slivering without interfering with the resiliency and general efficiency of the handle.

The invention consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing has been illustrated a simple and preferred form of the invention; it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited,

' but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of the claims may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a top plan view of a tool handle constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view, enlarged. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the strengthening plates.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by like characters of reference.

The improved tool handle 1 which is preferably constructed of wood, is provided near the tool carrying end thereof with a transverse slot 2; the end of the handle is slightly wedge shaped or tapered as shown at 3, so as to be readily introduced into the eye of the tool, and adjacent to the said tapered or wedge shaped portion the handle is formed with a reduced portion 4 which has been shown as being formed by forming concaved recesses 5 in opposite sides of the handle.

Within the slot 2 there are introduced two strengthening plates 6, 6, of steel, brass, or

other suitable sheet metal; two plates being used in preference to a single one,'for the reason that the resiliency of the handle is not materially affected by the use of two relatively thin plates, while a single strengthening plate of relatively greater thickness would operate to render the handle inelastic,

and therefore less efficient for general purposes. The plates 6, are of a width slightly exceeding the reduced portion 4 of the handle, and the edges of said plates are turned or bent up against the sides of the handle, forming oppositely extending flanges 7 which not only serve to'retain the strengthening plates securely in position, but which also reinforce the handle, and prevent it from splitting or slivering. YVhen the tool head, not shown in the drawings, is placed in position on the handle, it prevents the slotted end of the latter from spreading, and serves to assist in securing the reinforcing plates in position.

I claim;

1. A tool handle having a transverse slot, and a pair of reinforcing plates fitted in said slot and projecting beyond the ends of the same, the projecting portions of the plates having their side edges bent to provide flanges extending in opposite directions and bearing against the sides of the handle.

2 A tool handle provided with a neck portion concaved at opposite sides and having a transverse slot opening through the concaved edges, and a pair of duplicate reinforcing plates fitted in said slot, each of said plates being provided at its side edges with flanges bent in the same direction, the flanges of the two plates extending in opposite directions and bearing against the opposite sides of the neck, said flanges being curved to conform to the longitudinal curvature of the concavities.

3. A toolhandle provided with a transverse slot having its side edges opening through the opposite side edges of the handle, reinforcing plates extending through said slots with their body portions lying in contact, each plate being provided along its side edges with flanges extending in the same direction, the side edges of the plates at opposite sides of the handle being bent in reverse directions and lying against the edges of the handle, whereby the plates are retained in operative position without the use of fastenings.

4. A reinforcing plate for handles comprising a body, said body being provided at its side edges with flan es projecting in the same direction, said flanges being curved on the arc of a circle.

In'testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RICHARD H. SMITH.

Witnesses:

EDD RATI-IVON, A. J. KNIFE. 

